


Batman: The world's greatest Papa

by dancingsweetheart129



Series: The Bat Family Future [1]
Category: Batman (Comics), DCU
Genre: Batman day, Fluff, Grandpa Bruce
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-18
Updated: 2016-09-18
Packaged: 2018-08-15 15:45:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,393
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8062234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dancingsweetheart129/pseuds/dancingsweetheart129
Summary: Bruce loves his grandchildren more than he could possibly imagine, and when they're small, he spends as much time as he can with them. He won't miss this part of their lives like he missed it in his own children. In honor of Batman Day





	

**Author's Note:**

> This contains spoilers for my main Janet series, including future children and future major plot points so if you don't want to know yet, don't read.

            “Bruce, I need you to take her, just for the night, please?” Tim pleaded, Janet slumped against his chest. She had fallen asleep in the car and hadn’t woken up when they got out and marched up to the manor. “This is sort of an urgent emergency with the team, we both have to be out there.”

            “I understand, she is more than welcome to stay here, Tim.” Bruce nodded, but his eyes didn’t stray from the computer screen in front of him.

            “Okay, thank you so much, Bruce.” Tim rushed around the desk and practically dropped everything in his arms except the baby. “She’s napping right now, but she’ll probably be hungry in about an hour.” He gently let Janet flop into Bruce’s arms.

            “Uh, Tim-“

            “All her overnight stuff is in her bag, I wasn’t sure how much you had in the nursery, so I packed extra diapers and toys. And there’s a bunch of extra formula in the backpack, and bottles. And she’s cutting a few new teeth, so there’s baby Tylenol. Be careful though what she chews on, we think she’s developing super strength. We had to get her a super strong puppy toy to chew on because she broke her other toys when she bit them and-“

            “Tim. I can handle it. Go be with the team.” Bruce instructed, curling his arm around the baby.

            “Thanks so much, Bruce, you’re the best.” Tim half hugged his father and fled the office, already pulling his phone out of his pocket.

***

            “Alfred, what is she doing up?” Bruce asked as he pushed his cowl back off of his face. He saw the man standing by the large computer in the cave, Janet happily perched in his arms. She reached out and whined when she saw Bruce.

            “She refused to go to sleep, Sir. I feel she was waiting for you or Master Damian.” Alfred said as he passed her off to the caped crusader.

            “Damian is on his way to the orphanage with Colin. He won’t be home until morning.” Bruce explained. Janet curled herself against his chest, closing her heavy eyelids. “I don’t suppose I’ll be getting out of the uniform soon.”

            “I would think not, Sir.” Alfred said, shaking his head and smiling.

***

            “You are a remarkable little girl, Janet.” Bruce said from his closet. He had mostly stripped his uniform, only still wearing his pants. Janet was perched in the middle of his bed, leaning back against the pillows and using his cape as a blanket and chewing on a small, rubber tire.

            “I couldn’t imagine how your daddy was like at your age.” Bruce said as he dropped his pants and slipped into a pair of sweats. Janet had refused to stay in her crib, and Bruce was having trouble prying her from his arm. The best course of action was to simply take her to bed with him.

            “Sometimes I wish I had seen my children at your age.” He continued, climbing onto the bed and wrapping an arm around her. “I had to miss a large part of their lives and development.” Janet looked at him and blinked with her big, blue eyes. Her dark hair was getting long and starting to curl at the nape of her neck.

            “I won’t miss that with you, Princess. Grandpa will be around with you for a long time.” Bruce said. He nodded, which she copied, then tapped her little nose. “Let’s get some sleep, huh?”

            “Papa.” Janet took the slobbery toy out of her mouth and reached out to grab at Bruce’s nose in return.

            “That’s right, Princess. Papa.” Bruce felt a lump catch in his throat. He knew that Janet had started speaking, small words like Dada, ball, and bat, but he hadn’t heard her name him specifically before. “Papa thinks we should go to bed now.”

            Bruce scooped her up into his arms, letting the cape and toy fall to the side, and let her lie on his chest.

* * *

 

            “Papa! Papa!” John shouted as he went running into the manor. His little socked feet thumped as they carried him up the stairs towards the office. He thought he heard his father calling for him, and probably the sounds of the man bounding after him, but the four-year-old ignored him.

            Once he made it to Bruce’s office, he stood on his toes to open the door and barge in on a smiling Bruce, already well aware that his grandson was in the manor.

            “Papa!” John yelled, giving some warning before he started sprinting towards the desk. He was thwarted in his attempts when Dick finally caught up with him and scooped him up, throwing him over his shoulder.

            “Gotcha, Squirt.” He said, tickling the boy until he squealed in delight. “Sorry, Bruce, I was helping Babs with the baby and he took off.” Dick finally settled John against his him.

            “No need to apologize, I heard him coming.” Bruce said, getting up from his seat.

            “Papa! Can I ride on your shoulders, Papa?” John asked, reaching out for his grandfather. Bruce simply scooped him up and put him up on his broad shoulders, where the little boy grasped the top of his head for balance. “Daddy, look!”

            “I see you, Buddy.” Dick laughed. “Barbara is downstairs.” He returned his attention to his father. The two of them left the office, Bruce ducking so John wouldn’t hit his head, and met Barbara down in the foyer, where she was sitting with Mary on her lap.

            “Hi, Bruce.” Barbara greeted with a tired smile, brushing a stray hair out of her face.

            “Hello, my dear.” Bruce leaned down to kiss her cheek, then repeated the gesture with Mary.

            “Mommy! Look how high I am!” John exclaimed, wiggling with glee.

            “I see you, Baby.” Barbara smiled up at him. Mary squealed out a laugh and clapped at her older brother. “Thanks again for watching them this weekend, Bruce. We just need a break.”

            “I love having them here, you both know they’re welcome any time.” Bruce said, lifting John off of his shoulders and setting him down on the floor. He hit the ground running and took off with his arms spread, presumably a plane.

            “We’ll pick them up in the morning.” Dick said, taking Mary to give her a kiss on the cheek before passing her off to her grandfather. “Love you, munchkin.”

***

            “Papa, let’s play!” John shouted, bouncing in place. He had a stuffed dog in one hand and a bubble wand in the other. “I wanna play.”

            “We can play in a little while, Chum.” Bruce said from his chair. Mary was curled in his arms, sucking down a warm bottle, eyes drooping. “Mary has to go to bed soon.”

            Bruce thought that would be the end of it and turned his attention back to Mary, her pretty blue eyes glazing over. She would be asleep by the time her bottle was gone.

            But then he heard the tell-tale whine that would begin a sobbing fit.

            He looked up just in time to see John hiccup a sob then flee the room, screaming the whole way.

            Mary pushed the bottle out of her mouth and started to echo her older brother.

            Bruce sighed.

***

            “Damian? Have you seen John?” Bruce asked, pushing his youngest son’s bedroom door open. He got his answer when a small lump under the blankets on the bed whined and moved a little. Damian looked up from his easel.

            “He’s mad at you, Father. He has yet to say why.” Damian explained, going back to his painting.

            “John, please come out here.” Bruce said, kneeling beside the bed. The lump only whined again.

            “Habibi, I suggest you come out and talk to your grandfather. You can’t stay mad at him forever.” The teen said, letting his brush float across the canvas.

            “No.” John whined.

            “Come along, Chum.” Bruce said, pulling at the blankets until John popped out, tear tracks still prominent on his chubby cheeks and lower lip puckered out. “Why don’t you tell me what’s wrong.”

            “You and Mommy and Daddy only love Mary, no one pays attention to me anymore.” John sniffed, crossing his arms. More tears welled up in his eyes.

            “That’s not true, Chum. We all love you very much. Mary just needs more taking care of.” Bruce gently used his thumb to wipe the new tears from his grandson’s cheek. “All babies do.”

            “Habibi, there was a time Janet felt the same way you do now. She was worried with you around, we wouldn’t love her too. But we still love her and your mother and father and grandfather all still love you.” Damian explained.

            “Janie didn’t like me?”

            “Not at first. But she loves you so much now. And you love Mary.” Bruce brushed the little boy’s mop of hair out of his face gently.

            “I guess.” John mumbled.

            “Come along, Chum. Let’s go read Mary a bedtime story. She’s waiting for us.”

***

            Bruce hadn’t expected John to take to being a big brother so quickly. He had taken them both into his bed, and John insisted on reading the bedtime story even though he could only read a few actual words. Bruce had Mary fast asleep in one arm while John told his elaborate story in the other, pointing out the wrong words with his finger while he spoke.

            “Mary is asleep, Chum. Why don’t we tuck her in and then we can come back here and read another story before you go to sleep? Is that okay?” Bruce asked, gently shutting the book.

            “Okay, Papa. Love you.” John said, stretching to give Bruce a quick kiss. “Love you Mary.” He whispered, leaning over to give her a kiss on the cheek as well.

* * *

 

            “B, I’ve got a problem.” Jason said as he stormed into the cave. He had Stephan on his back in a piggyback carry.

            “And that is?”

            “Lian can’t babysit tonight, I’ve got to meet up with Roy. Can you take the kid?” Jason asked, shifting the boy on his back.

            “Of course, Jason.” Bruce nodded and turned fully towards the man. He let his son down, and the little blond clung to his leg. “Hello, Stephan.”

            “Hi.” He said shyly. Jason crouched down in front of him.

            “Steph, you’re going to stay with Papa tonight, okay? Uncle Roy and I have some stuff to do. I love you.” Jason planted a kiss on the boy’s forehead before standing up straight again. “Thanks B, I owe you.” Jason was already taking off, pulling his helmet on and heading for one of the spare bikes.

            “Well, Kiddo, looks like it’s just you and I tonight.” Bruce held his arm out, welcoming the little boy into his lap.

            “Papa where is Daddy going?” The five-year-old asked.

            “He and your uncle Roy have to do some work.” Bruce explained, running his fingers through the wild curls on top of the boy’s head.

            Stephan was quiet for a few minutes, content to just watch Bruce work, but then he noticed the only picture on the desk, everyone in costume crowded around Barbara in the cave.

            “That’s Daddy.” Stephan pointed at the picture. Bruce paused his work to grab the frame. “Right there.” He touched Jason’s much younger face in the photo.

            “Yes it is, Buddy.” Bruce nodded. The picture was taken years ago, before he was blessed with his grandchildren, before Tim had even moved out.

            “And Uncle Dick, Uncle Damian, and Uncle Tim.” Stephan continued, pointing to each person as he named them. “That’s Auntie Barbara, and that’s you.”

            “That’s right.” Bruce nodded again.

            “Who is this?” He pointed to Black Bat.

            “That’s Aunt Cass. You haven’t seen her in a long time.” Bruce explained, turning the chair away from the desk.

            “And what about this?” Stephan pointed at Batgirl, her blond hair flowing down over her shoulders.

            “That’s Stephanie, your mommy.” Bruce explained. “You remember, don’t you?”

            “Everyone at school has a mommy.” Stephan mumbled, keeping his finger on Stephanie’s face. “But I don’t.”

            “Well, you do, Kiddo. She is your mommy.”

            “No, she’s not.” Stephan shook his head. “She died, so she can’t be.”

            Bruce took a deep breath.

            “I think I should show you something.”

***

            Bruce pulled the picture frame off of the shelf and set it on the desk where Stephan was sitting, letting the boy flip it open and look through it.

            “Who is this, Papa?” He asked, pointing to an old school picture.

            “That’s me. I wasn’t much older than you there. But see, look here.” Bruce pointed to a picture beside that. It was their old family picture from when he was just a little boy. His father was standing beside the fireplace with his mother wrapped in his arms, and Bruce as a small child curled in hers between them. “This is my mom and dad.”

            “That’s Thomas. That’s where my middle name came from.” Stephan said.

            “Right, Chum.” Bruce nodded. “They died when I was ten, like how your mommy did. But see, they are still my mom and dad. Just because someone is gone doesn’t mean they aren’t still important.”

            “What was mommy like?” Stephan suddenly looked up at Bruce with Stephanie’s pretty eyes, blinking with hope.

            “Well, your mommy was a brave woman. She was strong and smart, just like you. And she loved you so much.” Bruce explained, scooping the boy up into his arms.

            “How? Daddy said she hardly knew me.”

            “That’s true, but she wanted you very badly.” Bruce started as they headed down the hall towards Stephan’s bedroom. “Your mommy wanted to have a baby so bad. She and your Daddy wanted you for years. And when she finally found out she was going to get you, she cried because she was so happy.”

            “I wish I met her.” Stephan said as he was placed in the big bed.

            “I wish you had too, Chum. She loved you more than you’ll ever know. But we can always tell you about her.” Bruce sat on the edge of the bed and tucked the blankets around his youngest grandchild.

            “Will you tell me a story about her?”

            “Sure, Chum.” Bruce smiled and let the boy cuddle into his side, then resigned himself to staying in that bed the rest of the night.


End file.
